1. Field of the Invention
This invention is in the field of wire carrying spools of the kind whereon wire, such as magnet wire, is wound in layers upon the spool for storing, transporting, and dispensing, and also to the field of apparatus which may be manually operated to lift the spool from a transporting pallet for manipulation to a spool-using position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is common practice in the industry to wind wire about the outer diameter of a spool barrel in successive layers to provide for storage, transport, and dispensing at the use station of the wire, for example at a motor coil-winding machine. Typically, the wire is wound on a spool at a wire-manufacturing station or site, the spool then placed on a shipping pallet, which is a flat box-like structure having an open end for receiving the forks of a fork-lift truck or the like, is placed in a transporting vehicle, and is removed from the vehicle at a storage or use location or site. It is necessary then to remove the spool from the pallet and place it in suitable apparatus for unwinding the wire from the spool in connection with fabricating magnetic devices.
In the past, handles have been provided on one end of the spools for manually carrying and positioning the spools. However, when the spools are of a weight exceeding one hundred pounds, manual transport becomes difficult and cumbersome.